Pneumatic mattress



IDNEUMATIC' MATTRESS Filed July 16, 1954 Patented Oct. 1, 1935 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to pneumatic mattresses which are adapted to be inflated when in use, and which may be readily deflated when not required for use so as to be compactly folded and easily transported or stored in a small space.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide novel means for preventing undue bulging of the walls of the mattress when inated and in use, and to sobrace such walls as to effectively prevent longitudinal or lateral swaying movement when the mattress is subjected to the weight of an occupant and the occupant changes his position on the mattress.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved sanitary mattress of the above character which will be extremely simple in construction, efcient, and durable.

The present invention consists in the novel details of construction and in the novel arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described, `shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view, partly broken away, of a pneumatic mattress embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section on line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section on line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a transverse section on line 4--4 of Figure l.

Figure 5 is a transverse section on line 5-5 of Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing one of the ears provided to facilitate lacing the walls of the mattress.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, the present mattress includes an airtight casing 5 made of flexible rubber or the like and comprised of end walls E, side walls "I, a top wall 8, and a bottom wall 9. A Valve II), preferably located on one end of the casing, is provided to facilitate inflation or deflation of the mattress.

Carried by and projecting inwardly from the top and bottom walls of the casing are a plurality of ears l I and I Ia, arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows, with the ears on the top Wall of the casing in staggered relation to the 50 ears on the bottom wall of said casing in each row of ears. As indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1 and clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, it will also be seen that the ears of the longitudinal rows are alternately reversed in position with respect to the top .and bottom walls. In

(ci. s sso) other Words, the ears Il of one row and on the top wall, as shown in Figure 2, are arranged in the same position as the ears lla on the bottom wall in the next adjacent row, as shown in Figure 3, while the ears IIa on the bottom wall 5* 0f the said one or first named row are positioned as shown in Figure 2 the same as the ears II on the top wall and in said next adjacent row, as shown in Figure 3. The purpose of this arrangement of ears will later be made apparent.

An inwardly extending ear I2 is also provided centrally of each end wall 6 in line with each longitudinal row of ears II and IIa, and roven though the ears El and lla, of each longitudinal row and through the end ears l2 alined therel5 with is a lacing cord I3. This lacing cord is roven in opposite directions through the associated ears I l, Ila ,and I 2 and alternately from top to bottom throughout the length of the casing, so that the lacing cord is crossed at a plu- 20 rality of points intermediate the top and bottom of the casing, and so that part of the cord roven through the ears in one direction has relatively long gradually inclined portions lll, while the part of the same cord roven in the opposite direc- 25 tion through the ears of the same row have relatively shortly abruptly inclined portions I5. The gradually inclined portionss III of the lacing cord act to prevent longitudinal sway of the mattress when subjected to the weight of the occupant and 30 when the occupant changes his position on the mattresawhile the abruptly inclined portions I5 of the lacing cord principally act to restrain the top and bottom' walls of the mattress from unduly bulging. The same system of lacing is 35 carried out in all of the longitudinal rows, and as the positions of the ears in alternate rows are reversed with respect to the top and bottom walls, the gradually inclined portions I4 of the lacing cord in one longitudinal row incline in an oppo- 40 site direction from the similar portions of the lacing cord in the next adjacent row, and so on. The same holds true with respect to the abruptly inclined portions of the lacing cords in alternate longitudinal rows, as will be readily seen by a 45 comparison of Figures 2 and 3. Thus, the mattress is prevented from swaying longitudinally in both directions.

Projecting inwardly from the side Walls 1 of the mattress are still further ears IS, and roven through these ears and the ears II and Il a transversely alined therewith are further lacing cords l'I which act to restrain the mattress against lateral swaying in both directions and assist in preventing undue bulging of the top and bottom walls of the mattress, as well as to prevent undue bulging of the side walls of said mattress. The ears I6 are provided on the side walls 1 in alinement with alternate rows of the ears II and I Ia as viewed transversely of the mattress, and the lacing cords I are roven through these alternate transverse rows of ears and the ears I6 on the side walls of the mattress alternatelyfrom top to bottom of the latter and in only one direction except adjacent the sides of the mattress where adjacent ears are connected by a gradually inclined lacing portion I'Ia extending in the opposite direction. As the positions of the ears are reversed in alternate rows provided with the lacing Il, the gradually inclined lacing portions I'Ial of the transverse lacings I'I will alternately occur adjacent the bottom and then adjacent the top of the mattress, and so on. This is clearly apparent by a comparison of Figures 4 and 5, and the gradually inclined portions I'Ia of the lacings IIv furnish an added resistancev to side sway to ja desirable extent, as compared to a similar method of lacing in which the lacing portions I'Ia are eliminated.

It will be understood that the longitudinal lacings I3 would ordinarily appear in Figures 4 and jwhere they .pass through the ears II and IIa shown in these gures, butisuch longitudinal lacings I3 have been omitted from these two gures for sake of clearness. When the mattress is assembled, the lacing cords are not freely slidable in the ears II and IIa. Y From the foregoing description, it will be seen Y that I have provided an effective means involving a novel arrangement of ears and manner of lacing them together so that undue bulging of the' walls of the mattress is prevented through- Y out the/latter and so that longitudinal and side sway of the mattress is prevented in all directions. YA very durable and eflicient mattress is thus had without interfering in any way with on the bottom wall of the next adjacent row and vice versa, further ears projecting inwardly from the .end walls of the casing in longitudinal alinement with the rows of ears on the top and bottom walls, and lacing roven through each longitudinal row of ears on the top and bottom Walls of the casing and through the ears on the end 5 walls alined therewith, said lacing being roven through said ears in opposite directions to provide gradually inclined lacing portions extending in opposite directions with respect to alternate rows and abruptly inclined lacing portions l0 extending in opposite directions with respect to alternate rows, whereby undue bulging of the top, bottom and end walls is prevented and longitudinal sway of the mattress in both directions is obviated. 15

2. A pneumatic mattress comprising an airtight flexible and elastic casing adapted to be inflated, inwardly projecting ears carried by the top and bottom walls of the casing and arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows, the ears of each row on the top wall being in staggered relation to the ears of the same row on the bottom wall, the ears of each row on the top Wall being further positionedV the same as the ears on the bottom wall of the next adjacent rowY and vice versa, further ears projecting inwardly from the end walls of the casing in longitudinal alinement with the rows of ears on the top and bottom walls, and lacing roven through each longitudinal row of ears on the top and bottom walls of the casing and through the ears on the end Walls alined therewith, said lacing being roven through said ears in opposite directions to provide gradually inclined lacing portions extending inv opposite directions With respect to alternate rows and abruptly inclined lacing portions extending in opposite directions with respect to alternate rows, whereby undue bulging of the top, bottom and'end Walls is prevented and lony gitudinal sway of the mattress in both directions 4,0'Vl is obviated, still further inwardly projecting ears carried by the side walls of the casing in alinementwith alternate rows of the first-named ears transversely of the casing, and further lacing roven through said rst-named ears and the ears onvthe side walls of the casing, said lastnamed lacing being roven transversely of the mattress in one direction and alternately from top to bottom of the casing except adjacent the sides ofthe latter, the last-named lacing being extended in both directions adjacent the sides of the casing to provide gradually inclined lacing portions at these points acting to prevent lateral sway of the mattress. Y v w Y l MELviN D. sEN'rELL. 55-` 

